Processing apparatus



y 8, 1934. G. w. LANE 1,957,606

PROCES S ING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor fl llorne y May 8, 1934. w LANE 1,957,606

PROCESS ING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 10. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 i lnvenior ,eaiye Wlazze,

By QM 02% fl Home y G. W. LANE PROCESSING APPARATUS May 8, 1934.

Filed Nov. 10. 195?. 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /I Home y May 8, 1934.

Filed NOV. 10. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I, L 7 A F F I I Inventor flaarye Wlane,

f1 ilorney y 3, 1934- s. w. LANE PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 10. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor flewyeWZ Iane,

y M flllomey Patented May 8, 193% UNITED s'rr ATN GFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for processing, that is degumming, desizing, and shrinking fabric such as silk, rayon, synthetic fibers, cotton, wool, cotton and wool mixtures and the like, and

5 the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character whereby a processing of the fabric or goods full width and on loose form with absolutely no tension on warp or filling may be accomplished, thus allowing goods of the crepe l variety especially to shrink normally while at the same time being subject to constant agitating and continuous progressive movement while being submerged in hot soapy water, chemicals or the like suitable for the particular process.

The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the machine or apparatus.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view therethrough.

Figure 3 is a plan view of an end portion of the machine.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the machine.

Figure 5 is an elevational view taken at right angles to Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view through certain parts of the machine to be hereinafter more fully referred to, and

Figure '7 is a face view of a portion of a gear Wheel forming part of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals it will be seen that the fabric to be processed is designated by the reference numeral 10, and is fed from a roll or other source of supply to a vat or trough 11, passing into the trough over a roller 12 supported adjacent one end of the trough 11 between brackets 13. The fabric 10 passes from the roll 11 downwardly into the trough 11 which latter will be filled with hot soapy water, a chemical processing agent or the like dependent upon the particular process to which the cloth or fabric is to besubjected.

Adjacent the bottom of the trough 11 the fabric passes under a roll 14 suitably supported between the longitudinal sides of the trough, and from the roll 14 passes upwardly and over a roll 15 supported transversely of the trough 11 by brackets 16 arranged adjacent the bracket 13.

From the roll 15 the fabric passes upwardly and is trained over a suitably driven inlet or feed roll 17 that is substantially rectangular in cross section and is rotatably supported between bearing standards 18 rising from the sides of the trough 11.

The object, intent and purpose of feeding the fabric 10 first over the roll 12, then over the roll 14, from the roll I l to the roll 15 and from roll 15 to the roll 17 is for carrying out what is known in the art as a wetting out of the goods prior to a folding or pleating of the goods or fabric, this folding or pleating of the goods taking place almost immediately upon the goods leaving the feed roll 17 and passing therefrom into the several compartments or what may be termed a comblned pleating and folding rotor and conveyor designated generally by the reference character 19.

The rotor 19 is rotatably mounted between the sides of the vat or trough 11 so that a portion thereof extends into the trough.

The combination pleater and conveyor 19 is provided with a circular series of pockets 20 into which the fabric 10 is fed as the combined conveyor and pleater roll 19 rotates.

The rotary movement of the pleater and conveyor member 19 is interrupted at intervals, and at such intervals the rotor 19 is oscillated through an arc of sixty degrees back and forth so that a folding or pleating of the goods 10 is accomplished as a predetermined amount or section of the fabric is being fed to a particular compartment 20.

As each compartment 29 is filled the oscillatory movement of the rotor 19 is interrupted and the rotor is then rotated in an anti-clockwise direction a suffiicent fraction of a revolution to bring the next empty compartment into position, and when said compartment is brought into position the oscillatory movement of the rotor 19 is resumed for feeding and folding the fabric.

As the compartments 29 approach the bottom of the vat or trough 11 the folded goods pass from said compartment into the vat and from the trough or vat 11 passes over an outlet reel 21 supported above the top of the vat or trough 11 through the medium of standards 22 rising from the sides of said trough 11. As the fabric passes over the reel 21 it is directed to other machines or series of machines to be subjected to further treatment of a' character dependent upon the quality and nature of the fabric and the purpose for which it is to be used.

To prevent the fabric from falling out of the compartment 20 prior to complete submersion of the fabric in the contents of the trough 11 there is provided a vertical arcuate shaped guard 23 of spring metal or other suitable material dis- 110 posed substantially concentric to the rotor 19 and provided at its lower edge with an apron 24 that at its base is provided with a split sleeve 25 receiving a perforated spray pipe 26 that extends transversely of the trough 11 adjacent the bottom of the trough. The pipe 26 is adapted to be connected with a suitable source of supply and a pump for the circulation of fluid to and from the vat 11.

For driving the combination pleater and conveyor 19 there is provided a shaft 27 supported by bearing brackets 28 projecting from the side walls of the trough 11 at that end thereof where the fabric 10 is first introduced into the trough. Fixed on one end of the shaft 27 is a disk 29 that has eccentrically connected thereto as at 30 one end of a connecting link 31 which at its other end is pivoted to a crank arm 32 provided on one end of a shaft 33 that extends through a hollow shaft 34. Shaft 34 is supported in notches 35 provided in the side walls of the trough or vat 11 and is internally provided with bearings 36 for accommodating the shaft 33.

What may be termed a change motion device comprises a relatively large disk 37 provided on one end of a hub 37 that is .fixedly secured to that end of shaft 34 adjacent the crank arm 32. Provided on one face of the disk 37 is a circular series of pairs of relatively spaced stops and each pair of stops include a stop 38 and a stop 39, stop 38 being in the nature of a lug and stop 39 being in the nature of a pin. Cooperating with each pair of lugs is a dog 40 pivoted at one end as at 41 to said one face of the disk 37.

On that endof the shaft 33 equipped with the crank arm 32 there is secured a hexagonal cam 42 that is engageable with a transverse fiat spring 43 extending transversely of the disk 37 and anchored at one end to the disk as at 44, while at its free end the spring is engaged with a suitable tensioning device 45. With the spring 43 engaging the cam 42 it will be apparent that upon oscillatory movement of the shaft 33 such movement will be transmitted to the shaft 34 and the combined pleating and conveying rotor 19 being suitably mounted on shaft 34, will be also oscillated with the result that as the fabric is being fed to a compartment 20, the fabric will be folded or pleated as before mentioned.

Suitably supported by one side of the vat 11 and extending laterally therefrom is a shaft 46 that is connected with the shaft 27 through the medium of a chain and sprocket connection 47. On the shaft 46 there is a worm 48 that meshes with a worm wheel 49 suitably supported laterally of the vat 11 through the medium of a bracket 50. Projecting from one face of the gear wheel 49 is a lug 51, and it will be apparent, that at the completion of each full revolution of the gear 49, lug 51 thereon will move into the path of one of the dogs 40 and will be engaged by the dog in the manner suggested in Figure 1 thus interrupting the oscillatory movement of the rotor 19, and cause the latter to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction to bring the next succeeding compartment into position to receive its share of the fabric.

The arrangement is such that when a section 20 has just about received its allotted portion of the fabric 10 the lug 51 will move into the path of a dog 40 for interrupting the oscillatory movement of the rotor 19, and cause the rotor to rotate relative to shaft 33 about sixty degrees in an anti-clockwise direction, as will be apparent from the following.

As is thought apparent, with the spring 43 engaging a flat side of the cam 42 oscillatory movement of the shaft 33 is transmitted to the shaft 34, the change motion device 37, and the rotor 19 until such time as the wheel 49 has completed a full revolution and the lug 51 thereon moved into engagement with a dog 40 engaging a stop 38 or in other words, until the parts are in substantially the position suggested in Figure 1. Now, when the wheel 49 has completed its full revolution and lug 51 is moved into engagement with said dog 40 it will be apparent that continued rotative movement of the wheel 49 will cause the disk 37, shaft 34 and rotor 19 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction relative to the shaft 33 a distance of about sixty degrees, and thereby move the next succeeding compartment 20 into position to receive its allotted share of the fabric 10. As is also apparent during this movement of the disk 37, and shaft 34 relative to shaft 33, shaft 33 continues to oscillate and the next succeeding flat side of the cam 42 is brought into engagement with the spring 43 to again provide a positive drive between the shafts 33 and 34 for resuming oscillatory movement of the rotor 19 immediately upon the said succeeding compartment 20 being moved into its position for receiving the intended amount of fabric 10 for accomplishing the pleating or holding of the fabric as it is being fed into the said compart ment 20.

Even though I have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a trough, a rotor supported between the sides of the trough for receiving the fabric to be treated, the rotor being provided with a circular series of compartments for receiving said fabric and driving means for the rotor including means for oscillating it, together with a change motion device for interrupting the oscillatory movement of the rotor and to rotate the rotor a predetermined fraction of a revolution.

2. A device for processing fabric including in combination a rotor provided with a series of pockets for receiving the fabric to be treated, and driving means for the rotor including a hollow shaft, to which said rotor is fixed for rotation, an inner shaft rotatably supported within the hollow shaft, means for oscillating said inner shaft, means for transmitting movement of said inner shaft to said hollow shaft including a change motion device for rotating the hollow shaft at predetermined intervals relative to said inner shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, a i

hollow shaft, a rotor provided with a series of pockets and mounted on the shaft for rotation the ewith, an inner shaft rotatably supported within the hollow shaft, means for oscillating the inner shaft, a disk fixed on said hollow shaft and provided with a pivoted dog, and a pair of lugs with which said dog is engaged, a spring member extending transversely of the disk, a polygonal cam on the inner shaft engageable with the spring member for transmitting movement of the inner shaft to said hollow shaft, and a driven member having means to engage the dog to rotate the hollow shaft relative to the inner shaft at predetermined intervals.

acting to transmit oscillatory movement of the inner shaft to the outer shaft, and mechanism for operating the change motion device to rotate the outer shaft relative to the inner shaft v at predetermined intervals without interrupting oscillatory movement of the inner shaft.

GEORGE W. LANE. 

